Exercising apparatus



Oct. 26, 1965 1.. J. ZENT EXERCISING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1963 INVENTOR LAWSON J. ZENT BY (mow Oct. 26, 1965 L. -r 3,213,852

EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i LEGEND 76 78 -znoom GEAR 74 72 24TOOTH GEAR q no INVENTOR. FF]

LAWSON J. ZEN T A T0 QNEr United States Patent 3,213,852 EXERCISING APPARATUS Lawson J. Zent, 1430 Etna, Huntington, Ind. Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,256 8 (Ilaims. (Cl. 12825) This invention relates to an exercising apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus which is adapted to manipulate concurrently both the arms and legs and to causes them to move through various motions of a generally circulatory nature while varying the relative positions of the arms and legs. Because the attitudes of the arms and legs are constantly changing between constricted and stretched positions, all of the limbs are given a vigorous exercising action.

In most of the exercising apparatus which is in use, the arms and legs are caused to move but with a substantially constant relative displacement between the arms and legs. Consequently, there is a failure to obtain the widest possible permutations of posture during exercise; for this reason, exercising action is incomplete because the muscles are not stretched and exercised through a maximum range of body positions.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide circulatory exercising movements for the arms and legs and while such circulatory movement is taking place, to vary the relative displacements of the arms with respect to each other and the legs with respect to each other to effect a wide variation of body postures as the arms and legs are turning through circulatory paths. In this way, the exercise apparatus varies the body posture from a jackknifed position to a stretched position concurrently with the constant turning of the arms and legs and the result is that the exercising action is made more invigorating and beneficial.

An overall object of the present invention, is to provide an improved exercising action in which, by reason of the substantially increased range of body positions during exercise, it is more possible to increase the beneficial effects of the exercise.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved exercising apparatus, which utilizes rotatable foot pieces and hand pieces which direct the feet and hands through circulatory movements.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel handpiece which produces, in addition to circulatory movement of the hands, a relative movement of the hand and forearm to produce a wrist flexing action, exercising that portion of the body.

A still further object of the present invention, is to provide an adjustable seat on which the person is supported during exercising, in order to accommodate for both the size of the person being exercised and a preferred body position during exercise which is found to be most comfortable and most beneficial.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the exercise apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section view taken on line IIII of FIGURE 1, the section being taken through the drive mechanism for the foot pedals;

FIGURE 3 is a foreshortened view, taken along the line III-III of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the drive connection between the foot pedals and crank arms for exercising the arms but with certain parts omitted and with the parts spaced in different positions from the positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 and illustrating a dilferent embodiment of the gear drive arrangement; and

' FIGURE 4 illustrates the twenty-two tooth and twenty- 3,213,852 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 four tooth sprocket wheels which are used one for each of the foot pedals to effect their different angular speed.

Referring now to the drawings, the exercise apparatus, designated generally by reference numeral 10, includes a frame 12 including a tripod base with floor engaging legs 14, 16 and 18. The tripod has an upwardly extending support member 20 which is of tubular construction as well as the other portions of the frame and is welded or otherwise secured at 22 to the tubular member 24 and is supported laterally by reinforcement tubular members 26 and 28 which are welded or otherwise suitably secured at their opposite ends to 20 and 24. The member 20 is also supported by an inclined tubular member 30 which serves to distribute weight to the forward leg 14 of the tripod and member 30 has a reinforcement 32 extending from tube 24 to 30. An upright tubular member 36 is welded to 30 at 38 and can be reinforced by a second tubular member 42 which is connected to 36 at 44 and to 30 at 46. In this way, the upright 36 is prevented from unduly vibrating from its mounted position during the exercising operation. Thus far, all of the structural members of the frame have been described and are tubular members assembled with welded constructions. The invention is not limited, however, to this particular construction but may include other designs as well, including angular structural members, channels, or other suitable construction parts which can be bolted, welded or formed in unitized sections as desired.

To produce the exercising action, there is a motor 48 having a mounting bracket 50 securing it to tubular member 30 and having an output pulley 52 with a belt drive 54 connecting with pulley 56 of the speed reducer 58. The speed reducer has two stub shafts 60, 62 (FIGURE 3) one extending from each end of the speed reducer 58 and sprocket chains 64, 66 connecting with two sprocket wheels 68 and 70, the sprocket Wheel 74 having twentytwo teeth around its circumference and sprocket wheel 72 having twenty-four teeth around its circumference so that With a given output on the speed reducer 58 acting through sprocket wheels 70 and 68 the foot pedals 76 and 78 will be caused to turn at slightly different speeds and therefore, a persons feet placed against pedals 76, 78, respectively, will assume different relative angular positions as the feet are caused to turn through circular paths defined by axis of rotation for the foot pedals.

Referring to FIGURE 2, sprocket wheels 68 and 70 are bolted by bolts 84 to sleeves 85 and 86 which are welded at 88 to the respective foot pedal, the sleeve 86 and sprocket wheel 70 both are rotatable on a bushing 90 which is mounted on a cross shaft 92. The cross shaft is bolted to an adaptor 94 by bolt 96 and the adaptor in turn is welded at 100 to member 30.

Each sprocket wheel 63, 70 (FIG. 3) is coupled to an adjacent coacting pulley 106, 104 by interlocking pins so that sprocket wheels 106 and 104 corotate with sprocket wheels 68 and 70 and at the same respective angular speed. The pulleys 104, 106 rotate on the bushings 90 (FIG. 2), these bushings being permanently lubricated by means of an oilite bearing or the like, the ends of the bushings 90 being sealed by washers 112 which are held in place by bolts 114.

The sprocket wheels 104 and 106 are connected by transmission chains 120, 122 to sprocket wheels 126, 128 which are mounted for rotation at the upper end of member 36. The sprocket wheels 126, 128 are operatively connected with crank arms 130 and 132, respectively, each having handles 134 and 136 Which are at an angle X (FIG. 1) of slightly more than 90 to the arms 130, 132 so that while the crank arms are grasped and are rotated, the Wrists will be caused to flex slightly as the arms 130, 132 rotate.

In operation, a spring supported saddle 137 is adjusted to a desired vertical height by raising or lowering the stem 138 within tubular member 20 and then locking it in place at the desired level by. means of a bolt 140. The operator then places his feet on the pedal sections 76, 78 and grasps handles 134, 136 and the motor 48 is then actuated and adjusted to provide a given rotational speed for the sprocket wheels 72, 74 with which they operatively connect. The arms and legs are thus rotated about a radius defined by the length of crank arms 130 and 132 and the arms 75, 77 of foot pedals '76, 78 (FIG. 3). Since the teeth for the respective foot pedals is somewhat different, the foot pedals rotate at a slightly different rotational speed, thus constantly varying the relative angular positions for the feet as they bear against the foot pedals 76 and 78, which are at one time at the same angular position and at other times are displaced 1 to 180 apart. Similarly, the handles 134, 136 being driven by gear wheels having different numbers of teeth, are also caused to rotate at different angular speeds such that the handles 134, 136 are at one time at the same angular positions and at the other times are spaced 1 to 180 apart. Thus, both the arms and legs are caused to vary in their relative angular displacements and additionally, the combinations of movements at some phases of exercising action causes the person seated on the saddle 137 to hunch and at other times to stretch the limbs as they are being rotated at a preferred speed, the speed being controllable by a control (not shown) which regulates the speed of the motor.

Concurrently with the rotation of the limbs, there is a constant flexing action which occurs at the wrist, by virtue of the angle which the handles 134, 136 (FIG. 3) make with the crank arms 130, 132.

The entire structure shown, can be encased if desired, in a shell of suitable construction and design. This is possible because the fixed angularity of the mounting member 36, the only movable parts of the mechanism being the foot pedals and crank arms which can extend through the casing.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a single example embodiment, it will be understood that this is an example embodiment of the invention and is by no means restrictive thereof. It is reasonably to be expected that those skilled in this art can make numerous revisions and adaptations of this invention to suit individual design requirements and it is intended that such revisions which incorporate the herein disclosed principles will be included within the scope of the following claims as equivalents of the invention.

I claim:

1. An exercising apparatus comprising the combination of:

(a) a support frame having a portion adapted for seating a person thereon;

(b) an upwardly inclined member including foot pedals at the base thereof and crank arms at the upper end thereof;

() motor means for effecting rotation of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively;

((1) means communicating motive force between said foot pedals and crank arms and providing for differential angular movements of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively whereby the relative positions thereof are varied constantly in their relative angular positions during the respective rotational movement and thereby effecting both exercising movements and change in relative positions of the arms and legs of the person contacting said pedals and crank arms respectively;

(e) and means providing relative movement between said foot pedals and crank arms and connecting said foot pedals and crank arms whereby the arms and legs of the person are concurrently exercised in varions relative positions of the arms and legs whereby the persons body is alternately hunched and stretched and thereby exercised. f2. An exercising apparatus comprising the combination 0 (a) a support frame having a portion adapted for seating a person thereon;

(b) an upwardly inclined member having foot pedals at the base thereof and crank arms at the upper end thereof;

(c) motor means for effecting rotation of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively;

(d) means communicating motive force between said foot pedals and crank arms and providing for differential angular movements of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively whereby the relative foot and arm positions are varied constantly in relative angular positions during the respective rotational movement and change in relative positions of the arms and legs of the person contacting said pedals and crank arms respectively;

(e) means communicating motive force between said foot pedals and crank arms and connecting said foot pedals and crank arms whereby the arms and legs of the person are concurrently exercised in various relative positions of the arms and legs whereby the persons body is alternately hunched and stretched and thereby exercised;

(f) a handle section of each of said crank arms, ex-

tending non-perpendicularly from the shank of said crank arm to effect angular movement of the wrist during rotation of said crank arm by said motor means as the handle is grasped and turned during the exercising action.

3. An exercising apparatus comprising the combination (a) a support frame having a portion adapted for seating a person thereon;

(b) an upwardly inclined member having foot pedals at the base thereof and crank arms at the upper end thereof;

(c) motor means for effecting rotation of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively;

(d) means providing for differential angular movements of said foot pedals and arms respectively whereby the relative foot and arm positions are varied constantly in relative angular positions during the respective rotational movement thereby effecting both exercising movements and change in relative positions of the arms and legs of the person contacting said pedals and crank arms respectively;

(e) means connecting said foot pedals and crank arms whereby the arms and legs of the person are concurrently exercised in various relative positions of the arms and legs whereby the persons body is alternately hunched and stretched and thereby exercised;

(f) and adjusting means for varying the position of the seating portion of said support frame relative to the foot pedals and arm cranks to vary the angular position for the persons body during exercise.

4. The exercising apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein each foot pedal includes a co-acting sprocket, each said sprocket including a differential number of teeth and a drive chain connected between the sprocket wheels of said foot pedals and crank arms respectively whereby a constant output speed will produce a differential angular speed of the respective foot pedals.

5. An exercising apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including a support means for carrying the weight of the person exercised, and means for adjusting the vertical position of the support to provide a further control of arm and leg positions during exercise.

6. An exercising apparatus comprising:

(a) a support frame having a vertically projected portion and a weight-supporting portion adapted for receiving an occupant in seated position thereon for exercising operation;

(b) two foot pedal members each having a force transmitting connection which effects rotation of its respec tive foot pedal and turning and imparting thereto a diiferential angular speed whereby the foot pedals are positioned at successively difierent relative angular positions during their rotation;

(c) power means for eifecting rotation of said foot pedals;

(d) two crank arms one adapted to be grasped by each arm of the occupant;

(e) force transmitting connections between said foot pedals and cranks arms to receive power actuation and effect rotation of said foot pedals and crank arms at relatively different angular speeds whereby the crank arms assume successively diflerent angular positions during rotation and both the arms and legs of the occupant are subjected to constant change while they are turned from operative combinations with the foot pedals and crank arms respectively.

7. The exercising apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including an output sprocket wheel associated with each foot pedal, a driven sprocket wheel including a drive coupling one for each crank handle and operatively associated with a respective one of said sprocket wheels at the foot pedal, said interconnected sprocket Wheels having different numbers of sprocket teeth and effective to produce a difierent rate of rotation of said foot pedals and crank arms.

8. An exercising apparatus comprising the combination (a) a support frame having a portion adapted for seating a person thereon;

(b) means for mounting a pair of foot pedals at the base of said frame;

(0) motor means for effecting rotation of said foot pedals;

((1) transmission means operatively connected to said motor means and said foot pedals for providing differential angular movement of said foot pedals whereby the relative foot and leg positions are varied constantly in relative angular positions during the respective rotational movement of said pedals thereby effecting exercising movements and change in relative positions of the legs of the person contacting said pedals.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,172 4/ 13 Lewin. 1,176,365 3/16 Hartnett. 1,728,103 9/ 29' Chaligne. 1,909,002 5/33 Oehlberg 272 73 2,648,330 8/53 Clark 12825 3,017,180 1/ 62 Aronsohn 272-73 X FOREIGN PATENTS 208,406 12/23 Great Britain.

3 78,5 81 8/ 32 Great Britain.

851,234 10/60 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

8. AN EXERCISING APPARATUS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A SUPPORT FRAME HAVING A PORTION ADAPTED FOR SEATING A PERSON THEREON; (B) MEANS FOR MOUNTING A PAIR OF FOOT PEDALS AT THE BASE OF SAID FRAME; (C) MOTOR MEANS FOR EFFECTING ROTATION OF SAID FOOT PEDALS; (D) TRANSMISSION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR MEANS AND SAID FOOT PEDALS FOR PROVIDING DIFFERENTIAL ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID FOOT PEDALS WHEREBY THE RELATIVE FOOT AND LEG POSITIONS ARE VERTED CONSTANTLY IN RELATIVE ANGULAR POSITIONS DURING THE RESPECTIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PEDALS THEREBY EFFECTING EXERCISING MOVEMENTS AND CHANGE IN RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE LEGS OF THE PERSON CONTACTING SAID PEDALS. 